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Gary Caldwell believes he is entering his prime after signing for Wigan on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Celtic.

The 27-year-old Scotland international moved to the DW Stadium on an undisclosed fee after three -and-a-half years at Parkhead. Caldwell, who took part in his first Wigan training session on Wednesday, became Roberto Martinez ‘s third signing of the January transfer window following the captures of Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic and Ivory Coast defender Steven Gohouri.

Gary Caldwell

“I feel like I’m coming into the best years of my career – as a defender once you get into your 30s I think you do your best stuff,” Caldwell told the club’s official website, http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk. “Hopefully Wigan have got my best years and I’ll do well for the club.”

Caldwell discussed the move with brother Steven, who plays for Wigan’s Lancashire rivals Burnley, and could make his debut against Wolves on Saturday.

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He described leaving Celtic – the club he supported as a boy – as a “wrench” but was lured by the prospect of playing in the Barclays Premier League and was persuaded to move to the DW Stadium by the enthusiasm and drive of Martinez.

“The manager made it quite clear what his ambitions are for this club and how much he wanted to bring me here,” he added.

“To play in the Premier League has always been an ambition of mine but I know how tough it’s going to be to get in the side and I need to focus on winning a place and doing the best I can for my new club.”

Caldwell is confident Wigan can secure their top-flight status, despite lying perilously close to the relegation zone after conceding 41 goals in 19 Barclays Premier League games this season.

“You look at the league table and it’s very tight,” he added. “But there are a lot of teams worried and it’s going to be a dogfight right until the very end.

“There’s some great players in this team and we’ve got a squad that’s good enough to stay in the Premier League and progress from there.”